The Baltimore Cathedral was designed by Benjamin Latrobe, a leading figure in U.S. architecture during the early 19th century. Establishing an architectural practice in London during the 1790s, he designed several country houses before emigrating to Virginia in 1796. Latrobe moved to Philadelphia in 1798 and won the design competition for the Bank of Pennsylvania. His plans initiated the Greek Revival movement in American architecture. Concurrently, he introduced Gothic Revival with his design of the first American mansion built in that style, constructed near Philadelphia. The Baltimore Cathedral and U.S. Capitol are considered Latrobe's two most important commissions. The Baltimore Cathedral was the first Roman Catholic cathedral in the nation. For the competition, he submitted two designs, one classical and the other, Gothic. Although the Gothic plan was not accepted, it became a model for neo -Gothic church designs in the United States.